


Enclosed Spaces

by RosesforYves



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Cameos, Elevator, F/F, Friends to Lovers, dense, squint for side ships lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-11-26 18:35:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18184250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosesforYves/pseuds/RosesforYves
Summary: it all starts with a panicky Sooyoung asking Jiwoo for her number before the elevator closesaka the au that actually happened in real life





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I'm back! Been working on this for a while now, but I'm excited to finally share it with everyone! Becoming an Orbit is special to me since it's what got me out of my creative/writing rut, and inspired me to write again. 
> 
> When I found out this elevator situation actually happened in real life, I immediately went searching for a fic about it, but was sad that I couldn't find any, so here we are now. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Ha Sooyoung. She’s supposed to be the logical one, the cool one, the calculated one. Always calm, collected. No one’s seen her break under pressure - from always ranking high in academics or when she’s performing with her dance crew.

Unfortunately for her, something is breaking that facade she’s unknowingly built for so long.

But, why? One might ask.

Two words. Or, a name to be more accurate.

Kim Jiwoo.

 _Damn her_. What’s her business coming into Sooyoung’s life, messing up her life, out of nowhere?

Sooyoung hates this feeling. Palms sweaty, heart beat racing, mouth drying up — sympathetic mode on full alert. But it’s not like it was triggered by a lion about to viciously attack her.

Nope, quite the opposite in fact.

A lion might be the opposite of how one would describe Kim Jiwoo. She’s small, she’s cute (understatement of the year), and really the embodiment of a person that just lights up the room whenever she’s there. She’s so endearing, she even got the nickname “Chuu” - like an onomatopoeia for the squeals a lot of people let out when Jiwoo speaks to them.

——

  
The first time they met really caught Sooyoung off guard. She did something that’s very much unlike her. It’s like logic did not exist anymore, and before she knew it, her feet and mouth were already moving towards its own goal, unstoppable.

Sooyoung got hired to be an extra for some web drama. She’s modeled before, so it’s not like this was that big of a deal. On the set, while waiting for staff to let her know what to do next, her eyes catches a girl standing in front of an elevator. She was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, a cap slightly hiding her face. Maybe it’s curiosity, but Sooyoung moves a little bit closer (really, just a tad) just to see this stranger’s face better. 

_She’s cute._

The first words that come into her mind. But it’s not a big deal, it’s not like she hasn’t seen cute girls before. Something feels different though. Sooyoung doesn’t know who this girl is, nor what she’s doing here. She does look a little timid, a little shy; like she’s unsure of where she needs to be. After a few seconds, Sooyoung gets pulled away from her thoughts when she hears the elevator ding, signaling its arrival.

For some reason, Sooyoung’s fight-or-flight mode turns on. Her head spewing thoughts of, _What if I don’t see her again?_

Her feet take a few quick strides, in the direction of the elevator, and things happened very, very fast. The last thing Sooyoung was clearly conscious of was seeing the girl step inside the elevator.

The next series of events, Sooyoung swears, it’s like her spirit left her body and just watched her own physical body do what it did.

_Thud!_

Her hand slams almost a bit too hard on one side of the closing elevator doors, force just enough to keep the elevator open. Breathlessly, she says, “..Can I get your number?”

Right after she hears her own voice say those words, only then did Sooyoung truly realize the exact situation she was in, what she has truly done. She wanted the floor to swallow her up.

It took almost all of her courage (and she has a lot), to look up, slowly, starting from the girl’s Stan Smith’s all the way up to her eyes.

Jiwoo looked a bit confused, but that quickly disappeared. Her face breaks out into the brightest, biggest smile (Sooyoung swears she’s not exaggerating), and wow, Sooyoung didn’t think she was capable of swooning, but this might be a first.

“Sure!” The girl giggles. The door starts closing again, so Sooyoung just by reflex steps inside. _What have I done?_

 “Are you here for the shoot too?” Sooyoung wishes Chuu wasn’t looking at her, because she swears she’s red as a tomato. Sooyoung just diverts her eyes downwards, suddenly, her feet seem incredibly interesting.

She takes a deep breath, in a futile attempt to calm herself down a bit (really, it seems impossible at this point). “Yes, I am.”

A few seconds of silence, then Sooyoung feels a nudge on her arm. She looks down, and she sees a phone being shoved towards her. “Here you go! Just give me a missed call so I can save your number too.”

They exchange numbers, and the day becomes progresses quite peacefully from that point on. Except, by the end of it, Sooyoung realizes she’s made a huge mistake. Well, two actually:

1) Jiwoo is definitely NOT quiet (the girl definitely can run her ears off any day).

2) She realized her heart can do things she didn’t know it could before (like backflips, it felt like).

——

It’s been three days since they met, and Sooyoung hasn’t texted Jiwoo nor given her a missed call. She forgot to do so on the same day, and now it just feels weird to do it after so much time has passed.

Sooyoung almost gets mad a how illogically nervous she is about sending her a text. But she knows, she needs to do something about it because it’s ALL she could think about the past few days, and it’s started to affect her productivity - having to check her phone, unlock it, then re-lock it before sighing and putting it away again (only to repeat the cycle 10 minutes later).

_Get your shit together._

She starts composing a message, but isn’t quite sure which of the 10 variations she has thought of was the best one to actually send. Really, it’s starting to get ridiculous.

With a deep breath, and eyes shut tight, she hits send, the message simple: “Hey Jiwoo. It’s Sooyoung. How have you been?” Except, Sooyoung must have pressed something else, because at the end of her text, yep, there it is in it’s yellow smug glory - a _winky_ face.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Oh my god, please no._

Her fingers start fumbling, trying to see if there was a delete message option, or a stop sending option, or a punch me in the face option—

Then, she sees the 3 dots signifying that Jiwoo was typing up something in response. Sooyoung never felt as close to death before.

The first text was actually a mad emoji. Sooyoung’s heart stills.

“Why did it take you so long to text me?! I didn’t have your number so I couldn’t do it first”

Okay, for now she’s okay, Sooyoung thinks. The winky face has been ignored into oblivion, and she can more carefully and with eyes open definitely this time, muster a reply.

“I’m sorry, I got really busy with school and dancing”

  
“It’s okay! I’m so happy you finally texted! But wow, you dance?”

_Stop beating so damn fast, you stupid heart._

  
“Yes, I do, with a dance crew” 

“Wow! But I should have known, you have the vibes of a dancer”

 Sooyoung can’t help but smile. She takes a lot of pride in being a dancer.

“What makes you say that?”

“Oh ya know~ you’re cool and pretty like a lot of dancers”

Sooyoung choked. This girl, seriously, is doing things to her.

She didn’t really know how to reply to that, she was still taking some time trying to get over the back-handed compliment. She gets another text, however.

“Are you free to hang out tomorrow afternoon?”

Actually, she’s not. Her schedule is pretty busy, top student by day, and dancer by night. But, all that doesn’t matter much anymore.

“Yes, I am.”

——

It took Sooyoung entirely too long to get herself ready today. It was a very, very important day. She eventually decided on wearing a simple crop top t-shirt with some high-waisted jeans. Fingers nervously drumming on the table, as she looks out the window from her seat at this new cafe her and Jiwoo decided to meet at. She looks at her phone to check the watch every few minutes, and she realizes Jiwoo was just about to hit the 10-minute mark for being late.

 _Is she ditching me?_ Sooyoung swallows nervously. She’s waited four days too long to see her again.

“Hi!” Sooyoung gasps in surprise at the sudden greeting. Jiwoo in her entirely too cute outfit of a sweater and jeans greets brightly as she takes a seat in front of Sooyoung.

“Sorry, did you wait long?” Jiwoo looked a little disheveled, cheeks a bit flushed like she was rushing to get to the cafe.

“Oh, not really,” a lie, she’s been waiting here almost 30 minutes, “...are you okay?”

Jiwoo nods animatedly. Gosh, this girl is really just an anime character that jumped out of a manga and straight into the real world. “My audition ran a bit late, I’m sorry!” Jiwoo pouts, and Sooyoung is internally screaming.

“Audition? What for?”

“Ah, well I’ve been trying to find another company to take me after my last didn’t quite work out. I want to be an idol someday!” Jiwoo says, with a face-splitting grin. Sooyoung can’t believe how positive this girl is. It’s really quite contagious (and not just because she’s so cute).

“I’m sure you’ll find one soon. Those companies have no idea what they’re losing if they don’t take you. You’re perfect to be an idol.”

Sooyoung realizes maybe she said too much and made things awkward when the other girl didn’t say anything right away. But she looks up, and she almost wishes she didn’t, because Jiwoo is looking at her with so much gratitude and warmth it makes Sooyoung’s heart pound.

“...You really think so, Sooyoung?”

It just hits Sooyoung then, that no matter how bright the other girl is, she’s also had her fair share of hardships. Pursuing the life of a celebrity is definitely not an easy task. Sooyoung gets a sudden urge to protect Jiwoo; she wants to take care of her, comfort her, make her smile all the time.

_And maybe she’ll do just that._

——

Their first not-date went well, excellent, as a matter of fact. They spent almost 3 hours at the cafe talking about anything under the sun, before walking around nearby streets, then making a stop at an arcade. Jiwoo had a surprisingly competitive side to her, and she gets so pouty and whiny, so eventually after a couple more games, Sooyoung just lets her win every time.

Sooyoung tends to be more on the quiet side, and Jiwoo is well, on the opposite spectrum. That means there’s really no room for awkwardness to simmer, even though they ended up hanging out for almost seven hours the first time (felt like one, she swears).

Realizing how much time has passed, Sooyoung insists on walking Jiwoo to the train station. The taller girl was just about to wave goodbye, when Jiwoo steps into her personal bubble and pulls her in for a big hug. It was quick, and Sooyoung barely even had time to react.

“Bye! Today was great, let’s hang out again soon!”

As she walks home, her brain seems to call out a faint plea, _this is not good_.

But her heart seems to say otherwise.

——

They met up more and quite often after that first time, and only got closer with each hang out.

Sooyoung isn’t blind. At first, she wanted to dismiss her feelings, and thought of it as just curiosity about a new person she’s met. But at this point, she knows that’s not the truth. Jiwoo makes her laugh, makes her feel at ease, and that’s a lot to say of someone she’s known for only a short amount of time. She absolutely adores her friends, but nowadays, when she sees Heejin and Hyunjin hold hands, or sit a little too close to each other unlike how just friends would, Sooyoung can almost feel a dull pain in her chest. All she can do is look away.

 _It’s only fun when she likes you back_ , she realizes bitterly.

——

  
She tried to deny her growing fondness for the girl, but Jiwoo just keeps trampling the expectations Sooyoung has set for her, and Sooyoung feels herself getting into deeper trouble.

Almost like fate, as Jiwoo said the first time they found out, Sooyoung’s dance studio was actually quite near Jiwoo’s cram school, just a few stops away by train. It was nice, since the short distance afforded the two more opportunities to hang out and see each other.

Sooyoung didn’t think she can adore the girl any more, but of course Jiwoo just had to prove her wrong. One night, as she steps out of her dance studio, ready to go home after a tiring practice session, she sees a drowsy, albeit still very adorable-looking Jiwoo waiting outside.

_Wait, is she waiting for me?_

“Sooyoung!” Out of nowhere, Jiwoo looks like she got instantly re-charged, and skips over to Sooyoung, backpack in tow and plastic bag in her hand. Sooyoung was kind of confused. They usually hang out before Sooyoung’s practices because they tend to run quite late. It was almost 10:30pm, so why is Jiwoo here? Sooyoung knows the shorter girl usually leaves for home around 9pm from her cram school.

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost? You’re surprised right?” Jiwoo giggles. “I brought you some food! You must be hungry!”

Sooyoung could have melted right there and then.

They find a convenience store nearby, got some drinks, and sat down to eat the food Jiwoo brought, which was wings, since Sooyoung mentioned her cravings just a day before.

_Wow, Jiwoo remembered that?_

Like usual, Jiwoo talks a lot, and Sooyoung listens. Sooyoung sees Jiwoo off at the train station, and it was only when she was finally laying in bed, thinking about the day’s events did she realize, _holy shit._

Jiwoo waited more than an hour just to feed her.

Sooyoung couldn’t swoon any harder.

——

It was midterms week, and Sooyoung knows Jiwoo has been dying studying for her exams. It’s been the longest amount of time they haven’t hung out, and Jiwoo hasn’t been as active with texting either, which Sooyoung absolutely understands.

Nonetheless, she can’t stop missing her.

So, today Sooyoung embarks on a mission. She wanted to cheer up Jiwoo with a few snacks and coffee from a convenience store nearby. As she was walking towards Jiwoo’s cram school, her eyes catches that arcade they went to on their not-first-date. Sooyoung gets an idea.

She swears, she called to all the gods she knows, and almost $30 later (more than she spent at the convenience store), Sooyoung finally manages to obtain the penguin stuffed animal from the claw machine. She remembered Jiwoo really, really wanted it last time, and was talking about how her spirit animal was that of a penguin.

It was almost 11pm so most cubicles at the cram school were left empty. Sooyoung carefully heads over to Jiwoo’s cubicle, and immediately feels an ache in her chest when her eyes lands on the other girl.

Jiwoo’s head was resting on her arm, long hair splayed out over half of her face. She was sleeping, and anyone can tell the girl looks absolutely exhausted. Sooyoung just wanted to hug her, _badly_.

Sooyoung doesn’t have it in her heart to wake up Jiwoo, she seems to need the rest, even for a short amount of time, so Sooyoung just decides to leave the stuff she got along with a note. She steals one of Jiwoo’s post it notes and writes:

_Hey sleepyhead, don’t work too hard. Get some rest. Enjoy the snacks and your new friend. -Sooyoung_

She carefully pins the note on one of Jiwoo’s textbooks and was about to leave, when she afforded herself one more look at the girl that has undeniably caught her heart. 

_A mistake._

Sooyoung notices even at this state, haggard and tired, Jiwoo is still the cutest human being she’s ever seen. _God, she’s so whipped._

She gives herself a few more seconds to just admire Jiwoo. Noticing her smooth skin, her cute nose, and her rosy lips that she wants to kiss so-

“Are you just gonna stare at her?”

Sooyoung jumps and steps back, immediately glancing over at Jiwoo to make sure she’s not awake before she realizes the situation at hand.

A stranger just caught her staring at Jiwoo. _Someone, please just kill her._

Sooyoung finally gathers herself and looks the other girl. Still in uniform, blonde, and looks a little rebellious. This girl has got sass, and she’s slightly smirking at Sooyoung like she knows a secret Sooyoung has no access to.

“You’re ‘pretty Sooyoung’, right?” the girl says calmly, much to Sooyoung’s surprise.

_Who the hell is this girl?_

“I’m Jungeun,” the girl offers her hand towards Sooyoung, “I’ve heard a LOT about you.”

Then it all clicks. Kim Jungeun. Jiwoo’s best friend. _And holy shit Jiwoo’s best friend just caught her red-handed blatantly staring at Jiwoo. Oh my god-_

“Ahem,” Jungeun’s hand was still extended, and the girl nudged it towards Sooyoung again. Sooyoung finally catches on and quickly offers her hand.

“I’m Sooyoung,” Sooyoung gulps. “Uhm, I-“

“Don’t worry about it,” Jungeun just grins at her. Sooyoung wants to wipe that grin off her face so badly. She really hopes Jungeun doesn’t say anything about what she saw, _but they’re best friends, isn’t that what best friends do?_

“Can you just wake her up and walk her to the train station? She’s been sleeping for almost an hour, I don’t think she can study much more tonight anyways.”

Before Sooyoung can even say anything, the blonde girl just gently shakes Jiwoo’s chair. “Jiwoo, wake up.” Nothing.

Jungeun tries again, nudging Jiwoo’s shoulder this time. Still, nothing. Sooyoung was just standing there, feeling slightly awkward, but almost chokes at the next words that comes out Jungeun’s mouth.

“Kim Jiwoo, wake up your _girlfriend_ is here.”

A fraction of a second, and Jiwoo jolts awake, like someone called out “Fire!” instead. That one word was so triggering, Sooyoung can feel her face lit up, she probably looks like a ripe tomato right now. Jiwoo snaps her head towards Jungeun on her left, not realizing another person was actually standing right behind her.

“Jungeun! You’re so annoying!” Sooyoung can’t see Jiwoo’s face because she’s still looking at Jungeun but she’ll bet that she’s pouting, and that she looks absolutely adorable. Jungeun on the other hand, doesn’t say anything, but just points behind Jiwoo. The still drowsy girl just hesitates, before turning around, finally looking up at Sooyoung.

It was almost slow motion, Sooyoung thinks. Jiwoo’s eyes grew twice in size, and the red coloring her cheeks immediately came soon after. Jiwoo quickly takes a book and covers most of her face, so that only her eyes can be seen. She turns around and is clearly trying to quickly fix up her hair.

“Oh my god! Why are you here?!” Jungeun just starts laughing hysterically, and Sooyoung is internally dying. Jiwoo turns around back to Sooyoung, and the latter gives her a small wave, which makes Sooyoung want to die even more (if possible) because it was so awkward and kinda weird because Jiwoo is literally just a few feet away from her.

“Pack up and go home, she’ll walk you to the station.” Jungeun quips.

Sooyoung can finally breathe a little and calms herself as she waits for Jiwoo to finish packing. She was leaning on Jiwoo’s cubicle when unmistakably, she hears a high- pitched squealing.

“Oh my god! Did you get this for me?” Jiwoo looks up at Sooyoung, and man, wow, it was totally worth all the effort and that almost $30 because Jiwoo is looking at her like she gave her something way, way, way better than just a small stuffed penguin and snacks. Jiwoo was holding onto the penguin tightly now, hugging it next to her face, and Sooyoung might as well just squeal at the cuteness. She’s blushing again, damn it, but she’s so happy that Jiwoo likes it.

Jiwoo admires the penguin a few seconds more, and Sooyoung can’t help but smile. “Thank you-“

“You guys are SO gross. Goodbye, I’m leaving,” Jungeun quickly passes by Sooyoung, backpack hanging on one shoulder. The blonde girl turns halfway, and says, “My brother’s actually here, so bye! But it was nice meeting you!”

Sooyoung and Jiwoo meet eyes, and they just both start laughing. “Sorry, she’s uh, a little rough around the edges, but she’s my best friend and she’s the best!” Sooyoung nods. It wasn’t the best way to meet the best friend of the girl you adore, but the normal way just seems boring now in comparison.

——

Sooyoung’s dance crew was having their annual end-of-the-year performance, and of course Jiwoo sits in the crowd, giddy with excitement, a bouquet of flowers in tow. Jungeun was sitting next to Jiwoo, still wondering how she was dragged into coming, but anything beats doing homework, so whatever.

The lights dim, and Jiwoo lets out a squeal, she’s so excited since she’s actually never seen Sooyoung dance before. The first time they lay eyes on Sooyoung, clad in a black crop top that completely exposes her mid-riff (and abs) with black jeans, Jiwoo audibly gasps, and honestly even Jungeun was a bit awed. Sooyoung just as a person in general was already the embodiment of cool, but when she dances, _wow_ , she just completely transforms. Cool becomes an incredible understatement, Sooyoung exudes passion, fire, and every perfect hit to each beat was truly breathtaking. Jiwoo was so mesmerized, the girl barely blinked the entire time.

However, feelings of awe and amazement quickly turns into something else when halfway through the show, Sooyoung, now wearing a white long sleeve with a loosened tie appears, along with another girl dressed in something similar. It was a couple dance, and under different circumstances, Jiwoo would have been pretty excited that two women were doing this type of dance — but this time, _oh no, Jiwoo is definitely not pleased._

Not when Sooyoung is a little too close to the blonde girl, not when the other girl’s hands are gliding over Sooyoung’s sides, and especially not when Sooyoung places her hands on the other girl’s hips.

It didn’t take much for Jungeun to catch the culprit when Jiwoo stops squealing and smiling the rest of the show and just sits still in her seat, frozen, hands clenched around the bouquet, almost crushing it.

Meanwhile, Jungeun also shuts up, but perhaps for a completely different reason. The blonde girl Sooyoung’s dancing with is _really, really beautiful._

——

“Jiwoo! Jungeun!” Sooyoung calls out towards the two girls who were waiting for her at the lobby post-performance.

Jiwoo wanted nothing more than to hug Sooyoung and tell her how amazing she was, but all positive thoughts quickly go out the window when she sees Sooyoung followed by _that girl._

So, Jiwoo pouts, brows furrowed. Jungeun would have teased her best friend if this was any other day, but it wasn’t. Up close, the blonde girl quite literally shuts Jungeun up. Gorgeous was really an understatement.

The situation was quite awkward. Sooyoung, all smiles, is now a bit dazed and confused because Jiwoo is quiet, and not all smiley and bright like she usually is.

“Hello. My name is Jinsoul. Nice to meet you guys.” Jiwoo almost too quickly shakes the taller girl’s hand, as if Jinsoul will burn her, and Jungeun does the opposite, hand lingering almost too long. Jinsoul finally pulls her hand after a few more seconds, smiling slightly at Jungeun.

Jungeun coughs, cheeks flushing red.

Suddenly, Sooyoung is face to face with a bouquet of flowers. Sooyoung gladly takes it, carefully watching Jiwoo. She’s quite uneasy, something is definitely wrong.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Jiwoo quips, almost under her breath, and without even looking up, turns on her heels and leaves.

Sooyoung can almost feel her heart drop, she’s just so confused. _Is Jiwoo mad?_

“Jungeun, is Jiwoo okay?” Sooyoung asks, concern very evident.

Jungeun nods, eyes still on Jinsoul. “I think you might have been dancing too close to Jinsoul.”

A pause, then Jinsoul gets the implication and starts laughing. Jungeun laughs along too, the situation was kind of comical. It took one dance number to completely turn the world’s brightest girl into the opposite.

Now it’s Sooyoung’s turn to blush. She swallows the lump in her throat, realizing she needs to do _something_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooooo, I hope that chapter was okay!
> 
> currently planning on making this a two-shot.
> 
> next part is almost finished, so will post probably early next month.
> 
> shoutout to pyrefly for inspiring me to write again and to Jackie for being the lamest person ever.
> 
> i do have a twitter, but it is trash lol @roses_for_yves , but i'm always down to talk!
> 
> thank you for reading, feedback much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Finally, here’s the ending. Took some time, but I had trouble writing an ending I was satisfied with. Thank you to everyone that read, commented, and left a kudos! I wasn’t expecting such a great response, and y’all really inspired me to write more. 
> 
> Shoutout to Jackie for beta and helping with ideas, ily. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this final chapter!
> 
> I’m open to prompt suggestions/talk either on twitter or curiouscat (same handle): @roses_for_yves 
> 
> Up next (idk when it’ll be done tho lol): Lipsoul fanfic where Lip is a lifeguard and saves popular girl Jinsoul from almost drowning OR Lipsoul angst based on King Princess’s Talia (haven’t decided) 
> 
> Til’ next time!

It turns out, Jinsoul and Jungeun we’re heading the same way, so now it’s just Jiwoo and Sooyoung. _And boy, is it awkward._

Jiwoo seems to wear her heart on her sleeves — when she’s happy, you can tell from a mile away, and when she’s not, well it doesn’t take much to tell either.

Sooyoung is quiet because her head is running a million miles a minute, trying to figure out a way to make things better, although if this was because Jiwoo is jealous, then somewhere inside of her, she is squealing with joy.

“So, are you and Jinsoul close?” Jiwoo quietly says, disturbing Sooyoung’s thoughts.

Surprised Jiwoo finally said something after a while of silence, Sooyoung manages to squeak out, “She’s one of the dancers I’m close with at the studio.”

“Hm, yeah it sure seems like it.” Jiwoo replies curtly. Sooyoung was thinking of something to say, but before they knew it they were already at the train station, and Jiwoo has stopped walking, turning towards Sooyoung.

“Sorry, I just felt a bit unwell,” Sooyoung’s must have looked utterly shocked, because Jiwoo raises her hands in front of her, as if to really persuade the taller girl. “But I’m okay now! Really. Don’t worry.”

Sooyoung nods before meeting Jiwoo’s eyes again. “Thank you for coming, I hope you had fun.”

“I did. Thanks for inviting us.” It felt weird that Jiwoo was acting so unusually, but if she was indeed feeling a bit out of it, then maybe that’s really why and that’s an understandable reason. Sooyoung can let her haywire thoughts rest for a while.

Jiwoo looks over her shoulder and sends Sooyoung a small smile and a wave before stepping into the train. Sooyoung was about to turn on her heels to head home, but she realizes something, and it unconsciously makes her stomach drop.

Jiwoo always, _always_ , gives her a hug when they part. But not today.

She still doesn’t know what it is, but that same force that overpowered her instincts and maybe logic and common sense possesses Sooyoung again. And just like before, her body was moving before her brain can even process it all. Her lithe body just slips in through the train doors, literally just a few seconds from closing.

 _Seriously_ , what’s up with her always following Jiwoo into enclosed spaces with temporarily open doors?

She quickly scans the train, looking for Jiwoo and she’s a few feet away, holding onto a pole with another hand on her phone, her back towards the wall. This train was definitely crowded, and Sooyoung needs to get to Jiwoo. With much effort, she finally makes it towards the other girl, but _what now_? Sooyoung is freaking out realizing what she just did and the situation she’s in.

She really just followed Jiwoo on her train, which is going the opposite way from her dorm. Sooyoung was about to berate herself more internally, when Jiwoo finally looks up from her phone and notices her presence. Her eyes clearly widen, finally meeting the taller girl’s gaze.

“Sooyoung?” It would be comical in an alternate universe — Jiwoo looks like she really just saw a ghost. Sooyoung was gathering her thoughts, about to give her a half-assed answer to explain the reason why she followed Jiwoo all the way into the train, but there was a commotion behind them, and next thing they know, Jiwoo is now pushed up all the way to the wall, with Sooyoung squeezed right in front of her as more people boarded the train.

It happened so suddenly, Sooyoung would have almost missed that millisecond when Jiwoo’s lips touched her neck during the ordeal, and Sooyoung is just praying that Jiwoo doesn’t have a good view of her neck in this cramped space, because she can feel her skin burning hot red.

There’s so many people around them, the announcements running over the speakers. But Sooyoung can only hear the fast, steady beat of her heart. Jiwoo’s head is almost resting where Sooyoung’s neck and collarbones meet, and she can feel Jiwoo’s slightly ragged breathing. They’ve never been this close before, and Sooyoung wants to combust. She never even knew how much she really longed to be this close to Jiwoo, and now that she has, she’s not sure how she’ll recover from losing this contact, this _closeness._

They stood there for a while like that, and when Jiwoo moved a bit to steal a glance at Sooyoung, the taller girl does too, and upon their eyes meeting even for a split second, both heads turn as fast as they met. Red surely creeping up both girls’ cheeks.

A few more stops, and Jiwoo speaks almost directly into Sooyoung’s ears, “This is my stop.”

Sooyoung quickly steps back, only then realizing that the train wasn’t even crowded anymore and she could have afforded Jiwoo more space much earlier, but she quickly realizes she doesn’t regret it. Sooyoung gets off with Jiwoo, nerves getting the best of her yet again. She did what she already did, but now that Jiwoo is looking for answers, Sooyoung is tightlipped again.

_Coward._

It might be the emotions running through her, it’s been quite a day. But Sooyoung just blurts out, barely above a breath, “You didn’t hug me goodbye.”

Jiwoo’s face seems to register so many emotions at once. Sooyoung loves that about her. At first shock, then confusion, before Jiwoo finally gives what Sooyoung has been waiting for, _longing_ for the entire night. That brilliant, absolutely iridescent smile.

To Sooyoung, it was worth all her troubles.

Sooyoung can only smile back, her heart seemingly jumping in joy too.

Cheeks flushed, Jiwoo opens her arms wide, coaxing Sooyoung to come settle in her arms. It’s really just a hug — but the _power_ it holds. Sooyoung isn’t tired anymore, she’s not wary anymore. She feels light, like floating, and only Jiwoo can have this effect on her. She deduces that she is most definitely, without a doubt whipped, but that’s a problem for another day, and now she just wants to bask in Jiwoo’s warmth.

Jiwoo finally breaks the hug, and almost squeals, “You’re so cute!” It’s very Jiwoo to say something like that, but Sooyoung is on cloud nine.

They didn’t really talk about the bitter atmosphere that was very apparent earlier, but all that matters now is that Jiwoo seems to be happy again, and that’s all Sooyoung wants. Jiwoo ends the night playfully berating Sooyoung for going out of her way for her. Sooyoung wanted to walk Jiwoo all the way to her house, but Jiwoo insists she already feels bad, and forced Sooyoung to take the next train back. As the train moves, Sooyoung flashes Jiwoo a final smile, and Jiwoo returns it just as gladly, and Sooyoung can feel her heart swell with bliss.

——

Sooyoung found it hard to sleep that night.

She’s definitely underestimated how much she _likes_ Jiwoo. It might be more than like at this point honestly, but Sooyoung refuses to dwell on that any further. The way Jiwoo makes her feel makes existing difficult sometimes. It’s a given she loves hanging out with her, and would love to spend every moment with her. Jiwoo has come to be the first thing she thinks about when she wakes up and before she goes to sleep.

At one point or another, she realizes with utter dread making its way through her chest, she’ll have to say something about it. But her head won’t let her rest, won’t give her the peace of mind she needs. Their friendship is strong as ever, and she doesn’t want to risk anything for the sake of her stupid feelings.

And _confessing_? What a concept.

Sooyoung almost wants to pass out from just the mere thought of it. Now she thinks back to the numerous confessions she’s gotten over the past years. How can she ever think of them as a nuisance? Her suitors were braver than she ever will be. Truly, braver than the marines.

Maybe one day, she can too.

Her phone vibrates on her beside table, effectively disrupting her musings. Upon reading the text, Sooyoung can only scoff, definitely happy for her friend, but outweighed by jealousy, as she’s even made more aware of her own cowardice. She throws her phone aside on her bed, the words on the screen almost mocking.

 **jinthowl** : guess who’s going on a date with jungeun tomorrow :D

Sooyoung forces her eyes close, desperately trying to shut down her brain and get some much needed sleep. But trying does not always equate success.

_How is it so easy for other people?_

——

  
Sooyoung quickly changed into a fresh set of clothes and was almost running to get to Jiwoo‘s cram school to meet up with her to hang out. She was a bit late since her last class took a little longer to finish. Luckily, Jiwoo was studying only a few blocks away from her studio.

She sees the shorter girl, and was about to shout her name from several meters away, when she halts to a stop. Suddenly, a tall guy comes into view, standing in front of Jiwoo. Sooyoung feels her heart drop instantaneously. She’s too far to hear what they’re saying, and Jiwoo can’t see her although all she needed was a small glance towards Sooyoung’s way (it’s not surprising, really, Jiwoo hasn’t looked her way all this time after all).

Sooyoung just stares at the scene in front of her for a while, and her heart throbs at the way Jiwoo gives the boy her full attention, her bright smile— as she does to anyone, including Sooyoung. The bond that they’ve developed through the months could most likely just be the same with all of Jiwoo’s other friends, and Sooyoung just desperately wishes that she’s the special one, the one Jiwoo thinks the most about, the one she cares most about.

But what if she’s just the same as everyone else?

On top of that, there’s still the possibility of Jiwoo getting easily swept up by someone else— exhibit A: tall, handsome guy standing in front of her right at that moment. Even the mere thought of it makes Sooyoung clench her jaws, her palms sweat. She doesn’t know how long she was standing there with her debilitating thoughts, but eventually she sees the boy leave, and Jiwoo turns around, seemingly looking for someone.

“Sooyoung!” The taller girl’s gaze was already on Jiwoo as the latter calls her name, before happily skipping over to her.

There’s that smile she loved so much, finally directed at her. But in the back of her head, she can’t help but think about how she wishes it was _only_ directed at her.

She smiles at Jiwoo back, but it’s not her usual smile— she just knows it. Her thoughts have clouded her mood, but nonetheless, a day with Jiwoo is always better than any day without her, and so Sooyoung decides to continue with her plans to spend the rest of the day hanging out with the girl.

To the best of her ability, Sooyoung puts on a bigger smile, builds up a facade to indicate nothing’s wrong, pushing all her worries aside for _now_.

But the looming question remains— just how long can she keep this up?

——

Sooyoung and Jiwoo headed back to Sooyoung’s dorm to hang out, something they’ve done a good amount of times since they’ve met. This time, they’ve decided to watch a movie, and it’s really quite good of a film, but Sooyoung’s thoughts are still all over the place, her mood, still a tad sour.

What she felt earlier, seeing Jiwoo with someone else, friendly or not, made her see green— and it scared her because this intense feeling of fear and jealousy are completely foreign, and she knows it won’t be long before she finally bursts at the seams and does something about her stupid feelings.

She’s thankful the movie allows them an excuse to be quiet, because she didn’t want to do anything impulsively nor say anything she might regret. So here she sits, too close to the girl she’s in love with, trying to catch up with the plot of the movie that has been running for almost an hour.

“I can’t take it anymore!” Jiwoo exclaims, effectively startling Sooyoung. The latter just looks at the other girl, confusion evident.

Jiwoo puts the laptop aside, and Sooyoung gets nervous because she has no idea what Jiwoo is talking about.

Sooyoung was sitting very still, slightly nervous, her back against the headrest. Jiwoo tilts her head at her, curiosity lingering in her eyes.

“What did I do wrong?” Jiwoo asks, her voice small and shaky. Sooyoung’s heart drops. It wasn’t her intention to make Jiwoo feel this way— when the other girl had no idea why she’s been moody all day; when Jiwoo didn’t know that Sooyoung was _truly, madly, genuinely_ in love with her.

Jiwoo must have been able to see through her pretend smiles, the facade she decided to build.

“N-nothing,” Sooyoung stutters, “I just feel a bit off today, no worries.” She even forces a small smile to appease the shorter girl.

“I miss seeing your really happy smile, like this,” Jiwoo says softly with a pout, and Sooyoung can feel her heart picking up pace, because Jiwoo reaches over, in a position almost straddling Sooyoung’s lap, before placing her fingers on Sooyoung’s face, in an attempt to further lift the corners of her lips and widen her sad-looking fake smile.

The action makes Sooyoung giggle for a few seconds and Jiwoo does too. But it suddenly goes quiet and the room feels a few degrees hotter, and Sooyoung realizes how close Jiwoo is now. Sooyoung can count her eyelashes if she wanted to, and more.

They just look at each other, seemingly entranced because no one moves for god knows how long, and Sooyoung gulps, and unconsciously licks her lips before noticing Jiwoo’s gaze go down slightly. And before Sooyoung can fathom anything, Jiwoo has closed the gap, and everything else that follows— just _fireworks._

Jiwoo is so soft, her lips are warm and firm and Sooyoung is halfway between ecstasy and passing out. Sooyoung unconsciously puts her hand on Jiwoo’s jaw, in an almost desperate attempt to deepen the kiss.

When Sooyoung finally pulls away, their chests heaving, Sooyoung feels a rush of emotions. If this was a joke for Jiwoo, something casual and fun, Sooyoung won’t be able to take it. In her head, she’s praying to all the higher beings above that this kiss meant something more.

She tries to read the other girl’s face, which is clearly flushed and tomato red— her gaze down. Only then does Sooyoung realize that Jiwoo was actually straddling her during the kiss, and now is just sitting on her lap.

“What just happened..” Sooyoung exhales, shakily, still slightly out of breath. In the back of her head, she thinks about how easy it would be to to kiss her again, but first, she desperately needs to know what it all means.

Jiwoo finally looks up to meet Sooyoung’s gaze, and it’s hard to not be caught up in how beautiful she looked, cheeks colored pink, lips rosy and slightly glistening.

"You _dummy_ ,” Jiwoo says, her eyes full of sincerity, a shy smile on her beautiful features. “I've known for a while now, but you took too long."

Sooyoung face breaks into the widest grin, yet surprise and confusion still evident. But with Jiwoo looking at her like she’s the only person that exists in the universe, Sooyoung realizes— the feeling is mutual.

Seriously, how lucky can she be?

Sooyoung wanted to say more, express her love for the other girl, but her words are quickly drowned in Jiwoo’s kisses and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

This is perfect, this is bliss.

Her confession can wait, she knows. They’ve got their whole future ahead of them to share sweet nothings. For now, she just wants to fulfill her insatiable desire to kiss Jiwoo again and again, and now, she can.

_So she does._

——

“CaN I GeT yOuR NuMbEr?” Jiwoo, says, imitating Sooyoung as she said those infamous words during the first time they met. Jiwoo then laughs loudly, much to Sooyoung’s demise.

“Shut up, like you can do any better!” Sooyoung playfully shoves her girlfriend away, feigning anger.

“I should have known! No one that just wants to be friends with someone would ever approach anyone like that!” Jiwoo giggles, pulling Sooyoung closer, holding her hand.

Sooyoung smiles and just stares at her girlfriend. Her heart can’t be any fuller. She gently touches Jiwoo’s face before closing in, their lips meeting sweetly (it was really the best way to tell Jiwoo she loved her).

After a few more moments of lingering kisses, Sooyoung pulls back, just to admire the love of her life.

In her mind, a passing thought lingers— _Thank god for elevators._

**Author's Note:**

> shoutout to pyrefly for inspiring me to write again and to Jackie for being the lamest person ever.
> 
> i do have a twitter, but it is trash lol @roses_for_yves , but i'm always down to talk! 
> 
> thank you for reading, feedback much appreciated!


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